


Red Strings

by onetruefirelord



Series: Red Strings of Fate [1]
Category: Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates
Genre: F/F, Nobody actually gets together at the end, Nohr | Conquest Route, Soulmate-Identifying Marks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-25
Updated: 2017-08-20
Packaged: 2018-11-18 21:54:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11299590
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/onetruefirelord/pseuds/onetruefirelord
Summary: Every pair of soulmates is born with the same tattoo. For all the resources spent searching, none of the Nohrian siblings have found their match.





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Camilla is impulsive.

In the past, Camilla had secretly wished that her father would disown her. As the second-eldest heir, the prospect of marrying for love was all but impossible. There would be no hope of meeting a dashing knight to sweep her off her feet, no chance of a whirlwind romance culminating in a blissful happily ever after.

A shame, truly. Whereas most have a nondescript soulmate tattoo that is hidden away, Camilla's back is adorned by a pair of glorious wings, fitting for one who was born to fly. She can only imagine how gallant and bold the knight who wears its match must be.

Instead, she herself plays the part of the knight, her open-backed armor flaunting her tattoo, and there's no princess for her to save.

* * *

As she soars through the skies atop Marzia, Camilla unseats rider after rider from their pegasi. Air superiority is all but won, she thinks, until she realizes that her own ranks of wyvern riders have dwindled significantly. Her attention is drawn to the culprit when she hears Beruka's groan of pain from behind her.

Camilla turns just in time to see a kinshi knight with short red hair swipe Beruka down from her mount. Camilla instantly recognizes Princess Hinoka, noting that her counterpart has upgraded since the last time they saw each other. Camilla grins, recognizing the opportunity to swing the battle in her favor.

Hinoka has the same idea, it seems, as Camilla sees Hinoka draw a bow, its arrow aimed directly at her. Camilla can barely cast her Ragnarok spell in time before she feels a thud, accompanied by a shaft burying itself in Marzia's shoulder. As Camilla falls from the sky, she notices her own spell dismount the fiery haired princess.

In what Camilla can only assume to be fate, the two land nearly on top of each other. Hinoka quickly recovers from her fall, grabbing her naginata and making an opening jab at Camilla. Camilla is quick to parry with her axe, and the two furiously duel, with neither gaining the advantage.

In between blows, Camilla can't help but find herself enjoying the fight. Since the war started, she has been unable to spar with Xander regularly, and she has yet to find someone else to challenge her close combat skills. But now, because of Hinoka, her blood is rushing more than it has in a long time. On the other end, Hinoka is becoming increasingly frustrated; with her effectively removed from the battle, the Hoshidan defense is beginning to crumble.

It is time to end this match, Camilla decides. She swings her whole body around, building momentum in her axe for a mighty swing. As she completes her turn, she notices a fleeting moment of shock cross Hinoka's face. Camilla's axe breaks through the bamboo of Hinoka's unprepared naginata, connecting with her chest. The Hoshidan princess skids across the ground, unconscious when she finally stops.

* * *

"...Leave this place, and do it now. I beg of you, take your retainers and find somewhere to hide."

As Camilla surveys the field of battle after their victory, Corrin's treasonous words reach her ears. Hinoka is on her knees, neck exposed, but Corrin's Yato stands with its blade buried in the ground.

"And what is going on here?" Camilla asks, approaching the pair.

Corrin gulps. "I-I'm not going to kill her. She's still my sister, and I know that Garon will not let her live. So I have to make sure she escapes."

"Very well," Camilla sighs. "I will support your choice, of course. Do you hear that, darling? My dear sister wants to spare your meaningless life."

Hinoka spits at her feet. "I will not accept false mercy from Nohrian scum," she replies. "Everyone here knows what happened at Fort Jinya. Everyone knows just what kind of mercy you believe in."

"That's not true!" Corrin protests. "That wasn't me. That was Hans. We aren't all like that. Even Xander-"

"Now, now," Camilla interrupts. "If the princess wants to die, I believe it is our duty to oblige her." Readying her axe, she says mockingly, "any last words?"

Hinoka has the gall to smirk. "You will die unloved and alone, after which you will rot in the depths of hell."

Camilla's grip on her axe tightens. "Oh my, what bold words to say, when it was me that MY sister chose," she gloats.

"Camilla, stop! Hinoka, you have to-"

"I choose to not put much stock in the choice of-"

"-understand, there's a reason for-"

"-someone who spits on the grave of-"

"-all this. I really do want Nohr and-"

"-her mother by siding with the-"

"-Hoshido to live peacefully. Just ask-"

"-enemy before her funeral rites are even done."

"-Sakura, she-"

* * *

Hinoka's severed head hits the ground, and Corrin looks at Camilla in shock. "WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?" Corrin shouts. "IT WASN'T SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN LIKE THAT!"

"I can accept the insult at me," Camilla replies, "but I cannot overlook the insult to you. Run along now, I don't suppose you have the stomach to deal with the body."

When Corrin leaves, Camilla turns her attention to the crumpled body. In the heat of the argument, she had not noticed that the back of Hinoka's battle uniform had ripped from her slide across the dirt. However, instead of the peachy color of skin hiding beneath, there's black.

Curiousity piqued, Camilla delicately cuts away the tattered cloth with her axe, revealing a glorious tattoo that spans shoulder to shoulder.

* * *

"Camilla, where is Hinoka's body?"

"Hmm? Oh, I had it burned. I've been told it's Hoshidan tradition."

"...Camilla, are you okay? You seem distracted."

"I'm perfectly fine, dear sister. It's just weariness from the battle. I suppose I should retire for the night."


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Many things end.

Xander, Camilla, and Leo have all done terrible things on the orders of their father. Well, the entity that called itself their father, at least.

Not Elise though. If any of the siblings truly deserved their happy ending, it would be Elise. Sweet, gentle, kind Elise who lacks a single malicious bone in her body, who has never considered killing as a way to solve any of her problems.

Elise knows her shoulder is marked by a flower. But she has never seen that species of flower on Nohr, a fact which has caused her no small amount of annoyance. The description "flower on shoulder" is too broad to be of much use when searching an entire country for one person.

* * *

"Rest in peace now, my brother," says Corrin, her heart weary. The siblings look on as the dark aura surrounding Takumi slowly fades away, leaving just a man clinging to life.

Takumi tries to gurgle something out, his fists clenched, body twitching. Elise rushes to his side, clasping his hand, telling him to hold on. But it's no use; Takumi makes a final hateful glare at Corrin before collapsing for good.

Elise slumps over, letting Takumi's hand fall from her's as Takumi's body begins to fade away. It's then that Elise sees the mark on Takumi's palm. It's one that she has seen hundreds of times while bugging Leo.

"Leo!" she cries. "Leo, look at his hand!"

Leo only looks guiltily to the side, and a moment later, the reason why clicks.

"You knew already?" she asks. Leo shuffles uncomfortably before nodding.

* * *

_Leo has always prided himself on, among other things, his incredibly sharp vision. It's what kept him alive against the volley of arrows that Takumi shot his way at the Great Wall of Suzanoh. It's how he noticed a strange aura surrounding the Hoshidan prince right before he threw himself off the wall._

_It's how he manages to catch a glimpse of the inside of the archer's palm as it falls away, before the darkness takes him._

* * *

"Why didn't you tell anyone?" Elise shouts. "If we had known, m-m-maybe we could have tried harder to save him or something! I dunno, maybe True Love's Kiss isn't just something that works in stories!"

"That's enough," Xander says gently. "Even you should know that there certainly was no true love between us and them. It wouldn't have worked like it does in the stories."

Xander doesn't realize the slip. But Elise catches it.

"Us... we are talking about Leo! Unless..."

* * *

_Xander examines the deceased crown prince. The skin around his stomach is charred- a side effect of Raijinto's lightning. Xander shudders to think of the pain that committing seppuku with that blade would bring._

_Some of the armor around the entry point has wrinkled away as well. Xander peers closer, and immediately recoils in shock. Though the full image is damaged, Xander recognizes part of the intricate pattern that is on Ryoma's stomach. He has seen it in one other place many times..._

* * *

When Xander finishes recounting his tale, all attention turns to Camilla, who sighs and gives a silent nod.

"I knew it!" Elise puffs. "I knew that something was bugging you guys! This is a big deal, it's that every day that you-"

Elise abruptly pauses, before suddenly turning and running towards the exit of the throne room.

"Where's she going?" Xander wonders out loud.

"Sakura!" Corrin realizes.

* * *

"Out of my way!" Elise yells. Adrenaline pushes her past the legions of soldiers, all the way to the makeshift structure where all the prisoners of war are kept.

There's no watchman on duty- the soldiers are probably all off celebrating. It's up to Elise to navigate the halls. She peers briefly into each cell- none contain the pinked-haired princess. Eventually she comes upon a brown-haired man, one she recognizes as Sakura's retainer.

"Which cell is Sakura in?" she yells at the sky knight. Subaki merely glances at her with eyes that seem completely devoid of life, before returning to staring at the ceiling. Elise huffs and moves onto the next cell; there's a note pinned on lock.

Move at earliest convenience

Dead by starvation

* * *

When Corrin and the rest of the Nohrian siblings catches up to Elise, the youngest princess has been staring numbly into the cell for several minutes. Camilla puts a consoling hand on Elise's shoulder while Xander lets himself into the cell. Propping Sakura up on his knee, he moves aside Sakura's robe to expose her shoulder.

His face betrays nothing, and he moves Sakura robe back into position.

"Well?" Elise asks hesitantly.

Xander doesn't reply.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Hoshidan siblings did not wait to meet their soulmates.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was originally going to end it at chapter 2, but I really was curious as to what happens to Hoshido if all of the siblings are dead. So the pain train continues.

Ryoma has a son.

Xander does not know how to feel about this. On one hand, due to the Deeprealms, there is an heir for Hoshido who is of suitable age. After learning the truth of Garon's goals (and... other things), Xander has no wish to install a Nohrian ruler upon Hoshido. And while Corrin has a claim through being Queen Mikoto's daughter, he cannot see his sister being recieved with anything but hostility.

But at the same time, the knowledge that his... (he cannot bring himself to think the word) had sired a son...

Xander sits awkwardly across from Shiro. He cannot bring himself to meet Shiro's eyes, for he knows he will not find anything from disdain.

'Gods, why did he have to be blond,' Xander curses to himself. Shiro's short blond hair contrasts with the usual color for Hoshidans, instead bearing a hue almost identical to that of his own. Xander sees what a son between Ryoma and himself (he knows Leo to be familiar with such magics) would look like.

Xander is snapped out of his preoccupation by impatient tapping. "I know how this works, King Xander," Shiro says. "It is your right by conquest to make any and all demands upon the conquered. Hurry up and make your demands."

Xander is slow to form his words. "I... do not wish to make harsh demands of Hoshido," he starts. "Nohr truly does require food support from Hoshido, but we will trade food for metals at fair prices. I fully recognize that Hoshido will also need to rebuild."

Shiro scoffs. "I recognize that what you offer are terms as fair as they can get for Hoshido. Yet all I can think of is that it means my father... and all his siblings died for absolutely nothing."

Xander's silence allows Shiro to continue.

"Do you intend to marry soon, now that you are king?" Shiro inquires.

Xander coughs, scratching his stomach. Should he tell Shiro about his tattoo? "I... have considered some candidates, but recent events have made me reassess my intentions. Why do you ask?"

"I heard you interrupted my father's duel with your sister, just as he was about to emerge victorious," Shiro says. "That caused him to lose. Furthermore, your father lured my grandfather to his death under false pretenses of peace. Such patterns have given me much to think about."

"I wonder how your son will cause my death, and by what dishonor it will happen."

* * *

Hinoka has a daughter.

The girl (woman?) glares at Camilla, challenging her to stare back. Camilla finds that she cannot.

The two sit in painful silence before the Hoshidan princess finally talks. "Are you here to kill me?" she asks accusingly.

The boldness surprises Camilla. 'She has inherited her mother's tongue,' Camilla muses. "Of course not, darling, Nohr and Hoshido are at peace now. Why would you think that?"

The redhead sitting opposite her gives a shrug. "You seem to take a perverse pleasure in killing Hoshidans."

"That's hardly a fair thing to say-" Camilla starts to reply, before she is interrupted.

"I was watching, you know. Mother forbade me to enter the battle, so I had to watch from the wall. I watched you execute my mother in cold blood."

Camilla clenches her fists and takes a breath to recollect herself. She's not here to start a fight, she reminds herself. She's here to make amends. "That action may well be the action I regret most for as long as I live," Camilla says apologetically. "If I had known what I had known now, please believe me, I would never have done what I did."

"I believe you," says the redhead. Camilla starts to feel a little brighter, until the Hoshidan princess continues. "I've seen your back as I have seen the back of my mother. So I believe you would have kept her alive. I believe you would have kept her as your personal prisoner, until you made her yours in every sense of the word. I know your type."

With that dismissal, the princess rises and walks past Camilla to exit the room.

Camilla does not want to end the discussion there. "Selena, darling! Please escort my guest back inside!"

There's no response from her loyal retainer. Instead, when Camilla goes outside to check on her, she's kneeling on the ground staring into a pile of her own puke, a look of sheer horror on her face.

* * *

Both of Sakura's retainers committed seppuku, following their liege to the grave. 

Sakura's kimono hid it well, but she was rather fat for someone who starved to death.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things somehow get even worse.

 

_"What do I do?" Caeldori asks Yukimura. "It disgusts me that my chosen would be related to... her."_

_"In the past, it was a custom for those who rejected their chosen to cut off their tattoos," Yukimura says. "Perhaps such an action would be appropriate now. The Nohrians do not deserve your sentimentality."_

* * *

 

In the end, Shiro tells Xander to write up whatever terms he wants. While Xander discusses this with Leo, the young Hoshidan king spends his days practicing with Raijinto at the training grounds. During breaks, Xander goes to watch Ryoma's son; he can tell that Shiro is having no luck in getting Raijinto to choose him. He wants to go down, to tell Shiro that he cannot force these things; after all, it took a while before Siegfried would respond to his own call. But he imagines what Shiro would say in response (he doesn't want to take advice from the one who cut down Saizo and Kagero to interrupt the previous wielder's duel), and decides against it.

While Xander and Leo spend their days in meetings, Shiro spends his days at the training grounds.

A man who is in the same place every day, using a weapon that will not listen to him, is an easy target to kill.

By the time Elise reaches Shiro with staff in hand, it's already too late.

* * *

They are not prepared for the riots. Xander, Leo, Camilla, and Elise are safe in the palace when they start, but Corrin is out on a walk with Silas, Kana, and Sophie, unaware of the danger.

Corrin's sharp sense of hearing gives her some warning; but by the time she realizes that she's a target, the mob has cut off her route from the palace. With few options available, Silas offers to cover her escape; it takes all her effort to not transform into a dragon to protect her family. By the time the sky knights arrive (led by Caeldori herself), all three of them are bleeding from numerous cuts and bruises, and she's pretty sure Kana received a concussion from a thrown rock.

* * *

It is easy enough to find the culprits; the murderers, former members of Hans' special troops, are bragging about it to anyone who will listen.

Their executions are quick, attended by hordes of booing Hoshidans; but even though their heads fall, Xander fears that the anger those Hoshidans displayed will turn to him and his siblings now. He has already sent Camilla and Elise back to Nohr; against their suggestion, Corrin wants to stay for her mother's funeral at least.

Luckily for them, a simultaneous attempt on the life of the Hoshidan princess is thwarted, in no small part because her new retainer was present. That princess, now queen, sits across from Xander with a bandaged shoulder and a decidedly unhappy look on her face. Yukimura (Leo has informed him that this is the Hoshidan tactician) stands on one side, Camilla's former retainer on the other side.

"Here is the treaty we've written," Xander starts, taking out a thick stack of papers and pushing them across the table. "Of course, the terms are open to negotiation, so please speak up if there's something you would like to change."

Caeldori passes the papers to Yukimura, who adjusts his glasses and begins to read. As the man makes his way through the stack, Caeldori simply watches Xander with a bored look.

Desperate to break the awkward silence, Xander says, "Queen Caeldori, let me say again how sorry I am about-"

"There's no need to finish that sentence," the sky knight interrupts. "I've already heard enough apologies from your family to last a lifetime. Besides, I've been told that actions, not words, are the only way to show genuine contrition." (Xander swears he sees a smirk go across Yukimura's face.) "Nonetheless, I would be remiss if I did not offer my condolences about the death of Silas. From all I've heard, he was a decent person."

"Thank you. And of course," Xander agrees, "a lifetime of penance would not be enough to make up for the destruction caused by the war, but I hope that treaty is a start."

Yukimura clears his throat. "It will take some time to read through all of this; perhaps we might discuss other matters now, and revisit the treaty in the coming days?"

Caeldori nods; a suspicious look crosses Leo's face. "What other matters would you like to discuss?" the younger prince asks.

"The Nohrian army," Caeldori says bluntly. "I want them out of my country immediately. It's for their own protection, of course."

Xander wants to protest- the Nohrian army is camped out of the city and under strict orders to stay out, but Leo gets the first word in. "Of course. Given recent events, it would be unreasonable to ask you to keep hosting them," he says placatingly.

When they adjourn for the day, Leo warns Xander, "they are up to something. I advise you keep your retainers very close in the coming days."

* * *

Xander and Leo receive no notification in the next few days- even though it's a long treaty, Leo tells him that it's taking the queen way too long.

When Xander makes inquiries, he's told that they've been busy with funeral arrangements. "In Hoshido, it's customary to mourn for seven days for each deceased family member," Caeldori tells him. "Of course, we do understand that you need to get back to Castle Krakenburg sooner rather than later, so out of consideration for you, we've attempted to abridge the customs as much as possible. But, let's see," she begins ticking off with her fingers, "uncle Ryoma, uncle Takumi, aunt Sakura, there's grandmother Mikoto from before the war started, father, oh, and there's the matter of whatever happened to my mother's body. It's been quite a bit of work."

"Of course," he grits out. "I would be overstepping my bounds to ask you to rush this any further."

* * *

Days later, a messenger finally comes to tell Xander that Caeldori and Yukimura are ready to discuss the treaty, if they would kindly follow him to the South Wing. Leo warns Xander again about the Hoshidan agenda- "we are trying to be considerate towards them, but it's likely that they will try to push their luck. Be careful."

When the two brothers arrive at the meeting hall, Caeldori is lounging casually in her chair, holding and studying Raijinto. "Tell me," she asks as the brothers sit down, "what is the punishment for assassination in Nohr?"

Xander's not sure where this is going; given the executions in response to Shiro's murder, she should know the answer. "Death," he answers.

Caeldori nods. "It is the same here in Hoshido. And what about treason?"

Next to him, Leo stiffens. "Also death," replies the mage.

Caeldori nods again. "It is also the same here in Hoshido. If one with a claim to birthright in Hoshido acts against the country, the punishment is death."

Xander's not sure what's going on, but Leo seems to have figured it out. "And what if one has a claim to birthright in another country too?"

Caeldori shrugs. "That just means she is subject to the treason laws of both countries."

"Absolutely not! Corrin is off limits!" Leo shouts. "We came here to negotiate in good faith- we won't stand for you having our sister put to death."

"The treaty states that you wish for Hoshido to remain autonomous," Caeldori counters, "yet here you are, attempting to interfere with how Hoshido carries out its law." She turns to a ninja behind her. "Where is she?"

"Still in the North Wing," is the response.

"Enough of this farce," Leo says. "You know that it will end badly for you if you force this issue. You know that I know that you know this. So tell us what it is you really want."

The Hoshidan camps whispers among itself; after a few minutes (that Leo tells Xander are completely for show) Yukimura says, "we are willing to settle for permanent exile and revocation of birthright for her and all her heirs."

It's a petty and spiteful move meant to hurt Corrin, but Xander has no choice but to accept. "What's next?" he asks.

"There are two traitors in your ranks."

"Corrin has already lost one retainer, who was also her husband. Furthermore, as her retainer, Kaze is under the protection of princess Corrin, a protection which is backed by the throne of Nohr," Leo rebuts. "In addition, we are not contesting your choice to not pursue the members of the mob that caused the death of Sir Silas. Tell us your next issue."

A displeased look crosses Caeldori's face, but a whisper from Yukimura into her ear makes her change topics. "There is also the matter of the allotted food aid that Hoshido will be sending to Nohr," she says.

Xander's heart plummets. They can live with Corrin not being allowed to enter Hoshido, but his people cannot live without that food aid. "Where exactly is the issue?" he asks.

"Well," says the Hoshidan tactician, "it seems that these figures are based off of pre-war numbers. However, given recent declines in the able-bodied workforce, it will not be possible for Hoshido to produce this much surplus food."

"We can send farmers from Nohr to make up the difference," Leo offers, avoiding the obvious bait. It's a solution that would help everybody.

"Unacceptable," Caeldori quickly shoots back. "We simply are not at a place where having Nohrians living in Hoshido is possible."

"Well that's something we can agree on," Xander hears Leo mutter under his breath. "Well I suppose you have your own proposal," Leo says. "Hurry up and get on with it."

"Simple economics," Yukimura says. "The supply of Hoshidan food is much less, but the supply of Nohrian materials has barely been affected."

"Fine," Leo says. "The price we pay for food will be higher. What next?"

* * *

"Why did you give up so much ground?" Xander asks Leo later as the two return to Castle Krakenburg with their sister. "With what you agreed to, it's as if we lost the war, not won it."

"They had us hostage," Leo answers. "We were separated from Corrin, and they forced us to send our army away. If they wanted to, they could have make the starting move in another war by killing us. The important thing is that we got away- I have no intention of following all the terms we agreed to after that petty power play."

Xander gives a rueful chuckle. "So after everything that's happened, the relations between our countries might be even worse than they were before the war."

"That's on them, not us," Leo replies. "They took advantage of our generosity to put us in an inferior position. I recommend that, in the future, we act without regard for our tattoos- they will exploit any sentimentality we show."

* * *

_Caeldori pays Kana a visit in the medical wing after the shrine maidens heal all of his injuries. When she comes in, he's in the process of switching out the robe they gave him for fresh clothes (his old clothes were too damaged)._

_"How are you feeling?" she asks._

_"Fine, I guess," is the short reply._

_"I'm sorry about your father."_

_"It wasn't your fault. In fact, I think you were the one who pulled me up onto your pegasus, weren't you?"_

_Caeldori nods. "I believe it was."_

_"In that case, you saved my life."_

_As Kana puts on his shirt, he catches Caeldori studying his shoulder. "You can take a closer look," he tells her, pointing at the black feather. "You wouldn't happen to know anyone who has this, would you?"_

_"Of course not," Caeldori says curtly. "That would be quite a coincidence."_


End file.
